Why should I hire a professional home stager?

The article below is written by Debra Gould who I was trained by and look up to as a mentor in the staging business. If you or a client has considered staging but need a few more reasons to finally decide to take that crucial step to sell your home, keep on reading and I think you'll understand the importance! If you need a stager in Utah contact Bethany Poole with Bella Staging and Design, bethany@bellsatginganddesign.com (801) 688-7026 www.bellastaginganddesign.com

"Why Hire a Professional Home Stager?

There are lots of simple things homeowners can do on their own to decorate their

homes to sell. They can get rid of clutter, repaint, clean or put out fresh flowers. So why

hire a home stager?

Many homeowners are unsure of what paint colors to choose or where to move the

clutter. The process of selling a home can be completely overwhelming. They often lack

real estate knowledge about their local markets and how homes in their price range

should look.

A home stager has the ability to look at a home with a fresh pair of eyes. They view the

home as a highly critical buyer would see it. Home staging expert Debra Gould provides

five examples of how a professional home stager can benefit you:

1. A home stager knows what's needed to create the right environment quickly and

at the lowest cost.

2. A home stager knows what homes in different price ranges look like and what's

selling. They will give homeowners suggestions that their real estate agent may

be afraid to offer because the agent does not want to risk losing the listing.

3. A home stager is not emotionally attached to any of the home's contents, which

means that they can see the home in a way that someone who has been living

there for years simply cannot. Using their fresh vision, they recommend the

optimal way to rearrange existing furniture, art and accessories.

4. A home stager can quickly choose new paint colors, flooring, tiles, countertops or

any number of finishes. They have a ready source of painters, cleaners,

handymen, off-site storage and a myriad of other services that may be needed

on short notice.

5. A home stager can bring in replacement furniture, accessories and art if what is

there isn't appropriate for the home's target market or the home is empty.

Home staging is not just for multimillion dollar homes. Even for modest homes, staging

can have a dramatic effect on the selling price and the number of days spent on the

market. For example, one of the homes Gould staged had previously been on the

market for months with the best offer being $350,000. She spent 90 minutes with the

owner rearranging the furniture, putting items in storage and telling him what needed to

be cleaned. He sold the house the following week for $361,000!

How many other (legal) ways can you think of to invest $600 and get an $11,000 return

on your investment the following week?"

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and

creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has staged

hundreds of homes and uses her expertise to train others worldwide. Visit her at

www.stagingdiva.com and www.sixelements.com

Written by internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®,

www.stagingdiva.com. © 2008, Six Elements Inc. Used with permission.